Article
Environmental Sciences
Jaine Daiane de Moura Dickel, Jessyca Ketterine Carvalho, Maruhen Amir Datsch Silveira, Paulo Menegotto dos Santos, Maria Luiza Fernandes Rodrigues, Marcia Regina Fagundes-Klen, Carlos Augusto Rosa, Susana Johann, Cleide Viviane Buzanello, Rosemeire Aparecida da Silva de Lucca, Ana Raquel de Oliveira Santos, Mauricio Ferreira da Rosa
Summary: Our study aims to find filamentous fungi that are capable of synthesizing lipases for application in high-fat dairy wastewater environments. We identified and characterized Aspergillus sclerotiorum as a good lipase producer, and demonstrated its potential for bioremediation of dairy effluent.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Antonielle Vieira Monclaro, Caio de Oliveira Gorgulho Silva, Helder Andrey Rocha Gomes, Leonora Rios de Souza Moreira, Edivaldo Ximenes Ferreira Filho
Summary: This paper introduces the interactions between enzymes in biomass degradation, presenting the concept of the interactome as a holistic approach to depict the interactions among enzymes, substrates, metabolites, and inhibitors for optimizing biomass conversion processes. The interactome provides a better understanding of biomass conversion, allowing production of bioproducts from recalcitrant agro-industrial residues, thus bringing greater value to residual biomass. Finally, technological applications for optimizing the interactome at various levels are discussed.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Bruna Orsi, Ivan Sestari, Ana Paula Preczenhak, Magda Andreia Tessmer, Mayara Adja da Silva Souza, Neuza Mariko Aymoto Hassimotto, Ricardo Alfredo Kluge
Summary: Variations in carotenoid biosynthesis genes found in tomato mutants alter the accumulation of carotenoids and impact fruit ripening, color, antioxidant capacity, and nutritional composition.
POSTHARVEST BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Weronika Slizewska, Katarzyna Struszczyk-Swita, Olga Marchut-Mikolajczyk
Summary: Halophilic filamentous fungi are able to survive in extreme environments and counteract unfavorable conditions by producing multiple secondary metabolites.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Qingyuan Dang, Haiyun Sha, Jiyun Nie, Yongzhang Wang, Yongbing Yuan, Dongjie Jia
Summary: In this study, a transcription factor named MdAP2-34 in apple was identified to promote carotenoid accumulation in fruit flesh. This transcription factor participates in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway and primarily regulates phytoene and beta-carotene accumulation in apple fruits. Overexpression of MdPSY2-1, a major gene in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway, mainly increases phytoene and total carotenoid contents in apple calli.
HORTICULTURE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. Hassan, A. Pariatamby, I. C. Ossai, A. Ahmed, M. A. Muda, T. Z. Wen, F. S. Hamid
Summary: The study revealed that using a fungal consortium for onsite bioremediation of heavy metal-impacted soil can effectively remove heavy metals, increase enzyme activities, and the enzyme activities were higher in the treated soil compared to the control group.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Khanh Dung Pham, Yuuki Hakozaki, Takeru Takamizawa, Atsushi Yamazaki, Harutake Yamazaki, Kazuki Mori, Sachiyo Aburatani, Kosuke Tashiro, Satoru Kuhara, Hiroaki Takaku, Yosuke Shida, Wataru Ogasawara
Summary: Light stimulates carotenoid production in an oleaginous yeast by promoting carotenoid biosynthesis genes through a two-step transcriptional activation process. CRY1 is suggested to play a role in this mechanism. Mutants with varying carotenoid production were generated to further understand the light response, leading to the proposal of a two-step gene activation control. Data analysis also indicates the likelihood of R. toruloides NBRC 10032 being a homo-diploid strain.
BIOSCIENCE BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Arkady I. Akimov, Ekaterina S. Solomonova, Natalia Yu. Shoman
Summary: The production characteristics of microalgal Dunaliella salina were studied, and it was found that the maximum rate of carotenoid synthesis occurred under high light intensity and nitrogen deficiency conditions. The applicability of cytometric and fluorescent indicators to assess beta-carotene accumulation and D. salina functional state was investigated. Changes in growth conditions affecting carotenoid accumulation also had an impact on the algae's photosynthetic apparatus, although enzyme activity and cell viability were minimally affected. Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) fluorescence and the ratio of live cells were identified as useful indicators to evaluate the lethal effect of external factors on the microalgal's physiological state.
AQUACULTURE INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Estelle Menu, Quentin Filori, Jean-Charles Dufour, Stephane Ranque, Coralie L'Ollivier
Summary: Humans are frequently exposed to filamentous fungi, which are widespread in the environment. Under certain risk factors, these non-dermatophyte fungi can become opportunistic pathogens and cause various types of infections. The use of molecular tools and taxonomic revisions has led to the identification of an increasing number of fungi in humans. This review aims to inventory these filamentous fungi and provide details on their anatomical locations and the symptoms of infections.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Audrey Masi, Robert L. Mach, Astrid R. Mach-Aigner
Summary: The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is a key pathway in metabolic engineering, providing NADPH and playing a role in the production of various compounds in fungi. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of PPP can lead to targeted engineering and improved performance in industrial fungal strains.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hee-Geun Jo, Joshua Julio Adidjaja, Do-Kyung Kim, Bu-Soo Park, Namil Lee, Byung-Kwan Cho, Hyun Uk Kim, Min-Kyu Oh
Summary: This study identified genomic changes and metabolic characteristics associated with enhanced rapamycin production in the SRMK07 strain, providing insights for further engineering of a production host.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Andrew S. Urquhart, Donald M. Gardiner
Summary: Fungal spore killers are genetic elements that promote their own inheritance by killing non-inheriting gametes. However, little is known about how they kill other spores within the fungal ascus. In this study, we investigate the spore killer protein SPOK1 in Podospora anserina and demonstrate that it kills by targeting DNA. This finding provides insights into the mechanisms of spore killers and their potential applications.
Article
Agronomy
Katariina Manni, Sari Ramo, Marcia Franco, Marketta Rinne, Arto Huuskonen
Summary: The occurrence of mycotoxins in forage, particularly in grass silages, can heavily impact the amount of toxins consumed by cattle. A study conducted in Finland found mycotoxins in 92% of the grass silage and whole-crop cereal silage samples, with beauvericin and roquefortine C being the most common mycotoxins. The survey results suggest that silage-fed ruminants can be exposed to a wide range of mycotoxins, and the presence of visible molds does not guarantee mycotoxin-free feed.
Article
Polymer Science
Cleidiane Goncalves e Goncalves, Lucia de Fatima Henriques Lourenco, Hellen Kempfer Philippsen, Alberdan Silva Santos, Lucely Nogueira dos Santos, Nelson Rosa Ferreira
Summary: This study aimed to obtain chitosan oligomers of different sizes using a crude enzyme concentrate (C-EC) produced by a filamentous fungus. The enzymes in the C-EC were identified and the ability of the C-EC to reduce the molecular mass of chitosan was observed. The results showed that the crude enzyme concentrate had significant technological potential for obtaining chitosan oligomers of different sizes.
Article
Mycology
Camilla Savicius de Lima, Barbara Teodora Andrade Koelher, Erik Galvao Paranhos da Silva, Aristoteles Goes-Neto, Rachel Passos Rezende, Ana Paula Trovatti Uetanabaro, Andrea Miura da Costa
Summary: The enzyme tannase is of great industrial and biotechnological importance for hydrolysis of vegetable tannins. In this study, a strain of P. mangiferae isolated from cocoa leaves was found to produce tannase and gallic acid. Response Surface Methodology was used to optimize the production conditions, resulting in a significant increase in tannase activity. The optimized conditions included specific carbon and nitrogen sources and a temperature of 23 degrees C. The results demonstrate the potential of P. mangiferae for tannase and gallic acid production for biotechnological applications.
Letter
Plant Sciences
Juan C. Moreno, Salim Al-Babili
Review
Plant Sciences
Heribert Hirt, Salim Al-Babili, Marilia Almeida-Trapp, Antoine Martin, Manuel Aranda, Dorothea Bartels, Malcolm Bennett, Ikram Blilou, Damian Boer, Alix Boulouis, Chris Bowler, Sophie Brunel-Muguet, Fabien Chardon, Jean Colcombet, Vincent Colot, Agata Daszkowska-Golec, Jose R. Dinneny, Ben Field, Katja Froehlich, Catherine H. Gardener, Alain Gojon, Eric Gomes, Eva Maria Gomez-Alvarez, Crisanto Gutierrez, Michel Havaux, Scott Hayes, Edith Heard, Michael Hodges, Amal Khalaf Alghamdi, Laurent Laplaze, Kyle J. Lauersen, Nathalie Leonhardt, Xenie Johnson, Jonathan Jones, Hannes Kollist, Stanislav Kopriva, Anne Krapp, Mauricio Lopez-Portillo Masson, Matthew F. McCabe, Livia Merendino, Antonio Molina, Jose L. Moreno Ramirez, Bernd Mueller-Roeber, Michael Nicolas, Ido Nir, Izamar Olivas Orduna, Jose M. Pardo, Jean-Philippe Reichheld, Pedro L. Rodriguez, Hatem Rouached, Maged M. Saad, Peter Schloegelhofer, Kirti A. Singh, Ive De Smet, Clara Stanschewski, Alice Stra, Mark Tester, Catherine Walsh, Andreas P. M. Weber, Detlef Weigel, Philip Wigge, Michael Wrzaczek, Brande B. H. Wulff, Iain M. Young
Summary: Greenhouse gas emissions are causing a global climate crisis, and immediate interventions are needed to mitigate their negative effects. Plant scientists are crucial in finding solutions for sustainable agriculture and land use, as it contributes significantly to total GHG emissions. The PlantACT! (Plants for climate ACTion!) initiative lays out a road map for plant scientists to contribute to finding immediate, mid-term, and long-term solutions, and highlights necessary changes at personal, institutional, and funding levels to implement these solutions.
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Alice Stra, Lamyaa O. Almarwaey, Yagiz Alagoz, Juan C. Moreno, Salim Al-Babili
Summary: Carotenoids are natural pigments produced by plants, algae, bacteria, and microorganisms, playing essential roles in light-harvesting and protecting the photosynthetic apparatus. They are also precursors of important metabolites like vitamin A and phytohormones. Genetic engineering and metabolic engineering have been used to enhance carotenoid content and production, with recent advances including CRISPR technologies and viral vectors. Manipulating carotenoid biosynthesis can improve crop yield and growth, making it an important target for crop improvements. This article provides an overview of carotenoid biosynthesis and discusses the latest advances in synthetic carotenoid metabolism in plants and microorganisms.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Katya M. Aguliar M. Perez, Yagiz Alagoz, Batoul Maatouk, Jian You Wang, Lamis Berqdar, Somayah Qutub, Muhammad Jamil, Sara AlNasser, Nouf BinSaleh, Peiyu Lin, Lamyaa Almarwaey, Tadao Asami, Salim Al-Babili, Niveen M. Khashab
Summary: Sustainable and precise fortification practices are necessary for ensuring food security. This study demonstrates that biomimetic mineralization can effectively encapsulate and control the release of plant biostimulants to improve crop quality and yield in field experiments.
Article
Plant Sciences
Imran Haider, Yunmeng Zhang, Fred White, Changsheng Li, Roberto Incitti, Intikhab Alam, Takashi Gojobori, Carolien Ruyter-Spira, Salim Al-Babili, Harro J. Bouwmeester
Summary: Phosphorus (P) is essential for plant growth and development. Plants respond to P shortage by increasing the production and exudation of strigolactones (SLs), although their exact role in mitigating P deficiency is not well understood.
Article
Agronomy
Muhammad Jamil, Jian You Wang, Lamis Berqdar, Yagiz Alagoz, Ahmed Behisi, Salim Al-Babili
Summary: The root-parasitic plant Striga hermonthica poses a significant threat to cereal production in Sub-Saharan Africa. Inducing suicidal germination of Striga seeds is a promising strategy to deplete the seed bank in infested soils. This study explores the potential of cytokinins as germination agents and demonstrates the efficacy of thidiazuron in inducing Striga seed germination.
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Jian You Wang, Valentina Fiorilli, Luisa Lanfranco, Tadao Asami, Salim Al-Babili
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Abdugaffor Ablazov, Abrar Felemban, Justine Braguy, Hendrik N. J. Kuijer, Salim Al-Babili
Summary: With increasing throughput in both the generation and phenotyping of mutant lines in plants, it is important to have an efficient and reliable genotyping method. We propose an alternative workflow using Phire polymerase and ExoProStar treatment for genotyping mutant plants, which is faster, cheaper, and reduces the risk of contamination and mistakes. The automated sequence analysis systems used in this workflow are accurate and suitable for bulk analysis.
Review
Microbiology
Javier Pardo-Medina, M. Carmen Limon, Javier Avalos
Summary: Light is a crucial signal in fungi and has various effects on different metabolic pathways and developmental stages. Fusarium species are widely studied for their phytopathogenic activity and complex secondary metabolisms, including the synthesis of carotenoids. Photoreceptor proteins play a key role in signal transduction from light, and Fusarium genomes contain ten photoreceptors that are involved in light regulation. Recent transcriptomic techniques have provided new insights into the functions of photoreceptors in Fusarium and revealed the role of WC protein and DASH cryptochrome in gene regulation under light.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Marta Franco-Losilla, Steffen Nordzieke, Ingo Feldmann, M. Carmen Limon, Javier Avalos
Summary: In the fungus Fusarium fujikuroi, carotenoid production is regulated by light and the CarS RING finger protein. A new potential regulator called HmbC, belonging to the HMG family, was identified through a biotin-mediated pull-down procedure. The deletion of hmbC gene resulted in increased carotenoid production and altered phenotypic traits, indicating its involvement in multiple cellular processes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Muhammad Jamil, Pei-Yu Lin, Lamis Berqdar, Jian You Wang, Ikuo Takahashi, Tsuyoshi Ota, Noor Alhammad, Guan-Ting Erica Chen, Tadao Asami, Salim Al-Babili
Summary: The newly discovered apocarotenoid zaxinone plays a crucial role in regulating rice growth and development. It has been shown that zaxinone and its mimics (MiZax3 and MiZax5) can promote crop growth and reduce infestation by root parasitic plant Striga through the inhibition of strigolactone production, suggesting their potential in agriculture and horticulture. In this study, a series of new MiZax mimics were developed via structural modification of MiZax3 and MiZax5, and their effects on plant growth and Striga infestation were evaluated. The modified mimics did not show significant improvement in overall performance, but certain activities were enhanced. It was concluded that MiZax5 and especially MiZax3 remain the most efficient mimics for controlling Striga infestation.
Article
Biology
Anthony P. Miller, Damaso Hornero-Mendez, Sepalika Bandara, Obdulia Parra-Rivero, M. Carmen Limon, Johannes von Lintig, Javier Avalos, Jaume Amengual
Summary: Neurosporaxanthin, a carboxylic carotenoid synthesized by various species of ascomycete fungi, demonstrates high bioavailability and provitamin A activity. It can be more efficiently absorbed and cleaved to form vitamin A compared to other carotenoids in mice. These findings highlight the potential of neurosporaxanthin as a novel food additive and a promising source of vitamin A for humans.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sylvia Mutinda, Muhammad Jamil, Jian You Wang, Lamis Berqdar, Elijah Ateka, Emily S. Bellis, Salim Al-Babili, Steven Runo
Summary: Striga, a parasitic plant, greatly limits the production of staple cereals in Africa. This article discusses the importance of resistance to Striga in sorghum genotypes and their potential role in alleviating food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa. By leveraging genomics, researchers have identified new Striga-resistant sorghum genotypes, which could significantly reduce crop losses caused by Striga infestation.
PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Kaijie Zhu, Yimei Feng, Yufeng Huang, Dongmei Zhang, Muhammad Ateeq, Xiongjie Zheng, Salim Al-Babili, Guohuai Li, Junwei Liu
Summary: β-CCA enhances drought tolerance in peach seedlings by improving photosynthesis and reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, indicating its potential for drought control in peach and other fruit crops.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jian You Wang, Justine Braguy, Salim Al-Babili
Summary: The cleavage of plant carotenoids produces apocarotenoids, a group of metabolites including precursors of strigolactones (SLs) and abscisic acid, which are regulatory and signaling molecules. Zaxinone, a recently discovered apocarotenoid, acts as a growth regulator and suppresses SL biosynthesis in rice. Co-supplying zaxinone and synthetic SL analog rac-GR24 to the SL-deficient rice mutant revealed that zaxinone and GR24 act independently to regulate root and shoot growth and development in rice.
PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR
(2023)